Improvement in cutting apparatus for harvesters



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A. G. LAUGHLIN 8L K. G. RICE.

Improvement in Cuj't't'g" Apparatus for Harvesters.l

No. 132,513. Patented om. 22,1872.

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A. G. LAUGHLIN 8L K. G. RICE.

Improvement in Cutting Apparatus for Harvesters.

Paren1ed0c1.22,1a72.

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PATENT ICE.

` ABNER e. LAUGELIN AND KEENEY e. RICE, 0F PROVIDENCE, KENTUCKY.

IMPROVEMENT IN CUTTING APPARATUS FO'R HARVESTERS.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 132,513, dated October 22, 1872.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, ABNER G. LAUGHLIN and KERNEY GRICE, both of Providence, in the county of Webster and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Ina provements in Mowing and Harvesting Machines 5 and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing.

' necting them together in such a manner as that the section carrying the auxiliary vibratory cutters may be adjusted and held at any angle above the horizontal section, the cutterbars being connected by means of two adjustable pitmen, one of Which is pivoted at one end to a journal-box or pivot-point secured on the vibratory bar of the auxiliary cutters, and the other pivoted at its opposite end to a journal-box secured to the vibratory bar to which the horizontal cutters are riveted or bolted, and both of said pitmen connected at their in- Y secting ends to a sector-plate or crank-arm having its axis on the shoe of the main ngerbar 5 second, in providing the shoe secured to the main finger-bar with a lug or projection adapted to receive the axis'of the sector-plate v or crank-arm to which the pitmen working the vibratory cutters are pivoted, and in so forming said shoe as that the joint. or hinge of the auxiliary finger-bar may be moved toward the point ofthe shoe, and thereby admit of its being brought up to any required angle above the horizontal line of the main Enger-bar, and the knives of said auxiliary cutter-bar at the same time be permitted to pass within the appropriate channels in the shoe, serving as a bearing-surface for said vibratory knives to move on; and when the auxiliary iinger-bar is at the required angle, or in a vertical position, it may be moved back on the axis of the hinge located within the hollow of the shoe until it rests upon the required lug or notch in the shoe to receive it, thus bringing the slots in the hinge-joint of the auxiliary ringer-bar in register with counterpart slots in the'stationary axis-rod, to which position the auxiliary inger-bar is rigidly secured by inserting Within said slots a suitable key or pin.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l, Sheet l, is a plan or top view of a part of an ordinary finger-bar used on mowing and reaping machines, illustrating the construction and arrangement of our improved shoe, and showing the manner of constructing our auxiliary finger-bar and holding it to the horizontal nger-bar wheny adjusted to work on a horizontal plane with the main finger bar; Fig. 2, Sheet 1, is a front elevation of the same in like position, Fig. 3, Sheet 2, is a front elevation, showing the auxiliary cutters adjusted to about an angle of forty-five degrees; also illustrating by dotted lines the position of the auxiliary cutters when adjusted to cut vertically; Fig. 4, Sheet 2, is a. longitudinal vertical section in line m w, showing the parts enlarged to more clearly illustrate the axis of the hinged joint within the shoe and Fig. 5, Sheet 2, is a transverse section in line y y, Fig. l, showing one side of the shoe secured to the main 'ngerbar in elevation to illustra-te the position oi' the hinge-joint and its key Withinthe shoe,

and also to show clearly the bearing-suriaces or lugs on. said shoe.

A is the horizontal bar, to which are secured the guides Afor the vibratory cutter-bar A to move in, and to Which is also secured the iingers for the cutters to vibrate in. The auxiliary ringer-bar B is provided on one end with a lightly-made shoe, C', and hinged or pivoted at its other end to an axis, a, within the shoe C, which connects itvwith the main nger-bar A. The auxiliary cutter-bar B is connected to the main lcutter-bar Af by a pitman, D, pivoted to a journal-box or pivot-joint, b, secured to said auxiliary cutter-bar, and the other end of said pitman connected with a sector-plate, E, at c when the auxiliary Enger-bar B is in a horizontal position, at d when at an angle of forty-five degrees or thereabout, and at e when adjusted vertically. We contemplate, when required, having other apertures in the sectorplate E, so that the angle of the nger-bar B 2 mama may be varied as desired, and not confined to the three adjustments shown in the drawing. A second pitman, F, one end of which is likewise pivoted to the sector-plate E, as above described, has its other end pivoted to the main cutter-bar A'. Thus the vibratory motion of the main cutter-bar A' is transmitted, through the pitmen D F and sector-plate E, to

the auxiliary cutters, and by securing the iin-` When the grass or grain is much tangled and,

as is often the case, so matted upon the ground as to greatly retard the proper working ofthe machine, the operator has only to disconnect the pitmen D F, which are designed to be used when both finger-bars are on the horizontal, and substitute therefor other pitmen suited in length for such adjustment of the auxiliary finger-bar B as may be required, the connection of the pitmen to the sector-plate being required whether the machine be arranged for cutting a horizontal swath only, or when the auxiliary cuttersare adjusted to cut down the tangled grass or grain by a direct vertical cut, or are adj usted to any oblique position. In either case the vibratory motion of the horizontal cutters is imparted directly by its pitman and sector-plate or crank-arm, through the other pitmau, to the auxiliary cutters B', the motion of said cutters being the same in effect however adjusted.

The tangled grass or grain, by reason of its resistive power on the finger-bar at or near the end to which the shoe is secured, consequent upon leverage occasioned by forcing its way through tangled grass at such a distance from the motive mechanism of the machine, greatly retards the working of the cutters, and not unfrequently occasions their stoppage by reason of choking up. This difliculty we obviate by using the auxiliary iinger-bar and cutters, so arranged that their line of cut may be va ried according to the tangled condition of the grass or grain, and by a simple substitution or exchange of pitmen the same cutting'surface may be brought to act horizontally, and thus, in light grass or grain, give the advantage of cutting a wider swath.

Each machine should be furnished with a set of pitmen adapted in length to the variations caused by adjusting the auxiliary cutterbar to a required angle.

The shoe G lis provided with a central cavity to receive an axis or rod, a, constituting a way for the `hinge secured to finger-bar B to move on, which rod is furnished with a suitable number of slots, i, to receive the end of a key or pin, f, which passes down through corresponding slots on the upper journal-face of the hinge into such ofthe slots i as will come in register therewith, the auxiliary bar being thus secured rigidly in a given position, and the cutters thereof permitted to vibrate in conjunction with the horizontal cutters so as to cut a straight clear edge throughout the swath. The shoe is provided with suitable projections hj and cavities la l m, which may be cast as a part of said shoe C, (or otherwise fastened thereto,) to receive and support the finger-bar B aud form the bearing-surfaces for the traverse of the auxiliary cutters B', in

number to be equal to the adjustments the said finger-bar is arranged to have.

The bearing-surface or journal-box Gr, in which the sector-plate or crank-arm E has its axis, may also be cast as a part of the shoe C, as shown in the drawing, or secured thereto, as desired.

Claims.

1. The cutter-bar A', in combination with the adjustable auxiliary cutter-bar B', adapted to be held at different angles of adjustment,

substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

2. The shoe C, furnished with a journal, G, forward slots 7a l m, rear notches or lugs h j, and interior axis-rod a, in combination with the hinged finger-bar B, al1 arranged and operating as herein set forth.

3. The combination of the sectorplate E,

"pitmen D and F, cutter-barsA B', shoe C, 

